Claude Coleman Jr – on a “Summer Road” with another great Amandla Jam

Claude Coleman Jr – on a “Summer Road” with another great Amandla Jam

Claude Coleman Jr - Amandla Single Review

SINGLE REVIEW: “Summer Road” is a great closer for the Summer of 2014. Fuck, so much ear-candy on this song. He of course has fucking phasers on the drums. Classic Claude move – smoother than a brazillian waxing with plenty of guitar dueling solo action. Nothing brown about this song and a good teaser from his third album Laughing Hearts which we’ve been looking forward to for years. Claude Coleman Jr is of course the former Ween drummer and our brother from another mother. We met him in New Brunswick so many moons ago and saw his band Skunk play a few times and then in various projects since. Which were quite inspirational to guitar dorks like Billy Corrigans and myself. Listen back to back to Gish by the smashing pumpkins and Last American Virgin to hear what I’m talking about. Anyway, this single should set you straight that he’s beyond influences or ahead of them. Sure you initially hear the calming vocal tones of Elvis Costello and you will also notice the delivery on this jam is relentless. Just keeps giving on every listen because the church of rock is in session people.

To put it mildly you shall be overcome with fists of glorius crunching rock on the same level of The Hold Steady. Honetly, when Amandla does the tour thing you should do yourself a favor and go out that night. We will see you there. Claude’s music is uplifting and makes me smile a whole bunch of teeth ear to ear. Band website .

RELATED: The magic of Amandla – Before Tomorrow

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The Men of Chavez on Fallon

The Men of Chavez on Fallon


So this week one of New York’s premier guitar bands Chavez did yet another performance except this time on Jimmy Fallon. This is about a week after playing All Tomorrow’s Parties. Now that their songs are at least 16 years old can we help pass the good vibes to hear some new material sometime soon from these gentlemen? I know it’s in their back pocket somewhere. I know I’m not the only one who cares from everybody who showed up to see them play a 6:30 set! They sounded great and Matt Sweeney looks like he rolled right out of CB’s circa 1989 from his Skunk days except with no dread locks but probably the same jeans. Clay was in post-hardcore sound band called Bullet LaVolta before forming the band with Sweeney who were releasing records at the same time and part of the same scene which included Smashing Pumpkins in their circuit. And if you listen carefully you’ll notice Billy Corrigan pretty much ripped off both band’s sounds and mashed them together. In my opinion anyway; if you take that Allmam brother 70’s guitar noodling of Skunk and add some Tarver power chords with the volume formula breakdowns. You can easily look at both of these bands as being influential with one of the three making all the spoils.

Clay Tarver Chavez at All tomorrow's parties Asbury Park NJ

The Fist of Tarver & the Men of Chavez - All Tomorrow's Parties 2011

Nailed To The Blank Spot MP3 by Chavez from Gone Glimmering (1995)
(There’ll Be Other Girls) Hoss MP3 by Skunk from Last American Virgin(1989)
Knobb Off MP3 by Skunk from the album Laid (1991) Twin/Tone
X-Fire MP3 by Bullet LaVolta from The Gift (1989)
My Protector MP3 by Bullet LaVolta from Swandive (1991)
Siva MP3 by Smashing Pumpkins from Gish (1991)

Related stuff:
Photos of Chavez & Shellac + more here.
LIVE REVIEW Dec 2006: The slight return of Chavez and the fist of Tarver
Will the Men of Chavez ride the fader again?
All Tomorrow’s Parties Photos I’ll Be Your Mirror